Houston, TX -- (Sports Network) - The Houston Dynamo acquired 23-year-old forward Kei Kamara in a trade with the San Jose Earthquakes, the team announced on Thursday.

"Our goal has been to add depth at forward, and this move accomplishes just that," Dynamo Chief Operating Officer Chris Canetti said. "We are pleased to bring Kei into our club and expect that he will play a positive role as we head into the second half of the season."

Kamara has scored seven goals in three Major League Soccer seasons, two with the Columbus Crew and one with San Jose. A product of Cal State-Dominguez Hills, Kamara was capped four times for Sierra Leone in World Cup qualifying matches in June.

In exchange for Kamara, the Dynamo sent San Jose a first-round draft pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft and allocation money.

"We would like to thank Kei for his contributions to the team this year," 'Quakes General Manager of Soccer Operations John Doyle said. "This move gives us some flexibility for the future as we continue to build this team."